Minnesota Vikings: 3 Early breakout candidates on defense in 2020

1. Mike Hughes

As what was talked about a few slides ago with rookie cornerback Jeff Gladney, Minnesota has some holes to fill at cornerback during the 2020 NFL season with a shift in personnel throughout the defense.

A player who is already on the roster that could step up and will need to move into a starting role for the Vikings this season is third-year cornerback Mike Hughes, who has the potential to be a top cornerback in the league if he is able to stay healthy.

Hughes will be the early favorite to land the No. 1 spot on the depth chart at cornerback, replacing veteran Pro Bowler Xavier Rhodes who has filled that role during the last few seasons.

Hughes, however, has struggled to remain on the field for the Vikings so far in his career since he broke into the NFL in 2018 when he was drafted in the first round of the draft by Minnesota. In his rookie season in 2018, he appeared in just six games, while playing in a total of 14 games in 2019, dealing with some injury concerns in both of those years.

In 2020, Minnesota is going to rely heavily on Hughes to take over at cornerback and become the top defensive back alongside Gladney, rookie Cameron Dantzler and others at the position.

A season ago, Hughes did play in 14 games but only started in three of those games while serving as a backup to Rhodes, Alexander, Waynes and company in Minnesota. During the 2019 campaign, Hughes finished with one interception, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and a career-best 45 tackles.

With many players due for important and potentially career years in 2020, Hughes is a player that will emerge as the top player at the depth chart at cornerback and could have a breakout campaign in his third year as a professional.